


The Inevitable

by brittanablog



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Dork Lena Luthor, Established Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, F/F, Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor Friendship, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Finds Out, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Has a Crush on Kara Danvers, Lena Luthor-centric, Minor Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Slow Romance, karlena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-08 01:39:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10374996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brittanablog/pseuds/brittanablog
Summary: Lena Luthor has a debilitating crush on Kara Danvers. But she won't let herself act on it--for either of their sake. Lena is finding it harder and harder to resist her feelings, and Kara doesn't understand why Lena keeps pulling away.Or, a slow burn towards these two idiots understanding what they mean to each other, largely from Lena's misguided POV. Come along as Lena and Kara (with appearances from the others in their lives) navigate the waters of mutual attraction without mutual recognition.





	1. The Bar

Lena closed the spiral-bound book with a heavy sigh, leaning back in her desk chair.  She had just finished reviewing the latest project report for a new line of protective gear they were developing for law enforcement agencies. It was good, but Lena had her reservations.

After being saved after her last brush with death at the hands of her mother and CADMUS, Lena had the good fortune to chat with Supergirl. She had witnessed the final shootout between Supergirl, the DEO, her mother, and Cyborg Superman, and she couldn’t believe some of what she had seen. Everyone knew that Supergirl had super strength, and the ability to fly, and heat ray eyes and freeze breath. But Lena was stunned when she watched bullets ricochet off Supergirl’s cape when she fanned it out, shielding Lena from sure death.

“What on earth is that cape made of, Supergirl?” she had asked. “Wait… it is made of something from earth, right?” she added with a laugh.

The question had sparked a long chat, where Supergirl explained all the enhancements in her super suit, especially the flexible, bullet-proof fabric of her cape. Lena’s creative mind had gone haywire, thinking of all the ways she could expand on that technology. But, as with every new invention, she had her hesitations. If she developed these new, virtually bullet-proof uniforms for National City police, what were the odds it could fall into the wrong hands? What if she ended up strengthening the very forces she wanted to help fight against?

Her brain was fried. She had pored over the report all day, reading it cover to cover at least three times. The new leggings, undershirts, and shoes were basically ready for production—just waiting on the green light from the CEO.

She pushed away from her desk and walked over to the bar on the side of her grand office, pouring herself a whiskey. It was past 8:00, and she knew she should try to head home, but something was nagging at her to keep working.

Her office door creaked open and Jess stepped halfway into her office. Lena glanced at her, expectantly.

“Ms. Luthor, I know you said to give her full access, but given the time of night, I wanted to be sure you were okay with a visitor.” She paused. “Kara Danvers is here to see you,” she added when Lena didn’t immediately respond.

“Oh…” Lena looked around, a little baffled. “Oh, no, that’s fine Jess, thank you. Please send her in.”

Jess nodded and stepped backwards, opening the door all the way and making room for Kara to slip past her into the office.

They stood facing one another, silent, until Jess closed the door behind her on the way out.  Lena awkwardly wiped her palms down the front of her dress, subconsciously trying to straighten out any wrinkles. Kara simply smiled at her a ducked her head slightly.

“Ms. Danvers, it’s nice to see you,” Lena finally said, the genuineness of the words apparent. “What brings you by so late?” Lena waved towards her couch, questioning whether Kara wanted to take a seat.

“Oh, no, no, I don’t mean to keep you.” Kara shook her head, remaining in place in the middle of the office. “And please, call me Kara?” she asked, tone light, as though it was a gentle reminder.

“Yes, yes, Kara.” Lena nodded and smiled. “Well then, _Kara_ ,” she emphasized the name, adding a touch of flirtatiousness to her voice, “I ask again: What brings you by so late?”

“Actually, I just stopped by on a whim. I’m on my way to meet my sister and some of our friends at a bar just down the block, and as I walked by I,” Kara broke eye contact, cheeks flushing. “No, no, no, you know what, nevermind, I’m so stupid… I’ll leave you to your night.” Kara turned quickly and took several brisk strides. Before Lena could realize what was happening, Kara’s hand was on the door knob.

“Kara, wait!” Lena said, loudly. “Wait, don’t go.” Lena winced internally at the desperation evident in her voice; she took two deep breaths and exhaled as she saw Kara’s hand slip off the door knob and she turned back into the office. Kara shrugged, “I just realized how stupid this was of me, you can just ignore me. If you’re this late, there’s obviously something you need to be doing.”

“Kara, I still don’t understand. Why did you come here?”

“I was walking down the street towards the bar and I saw your office light on… so… I figured you must have still been here. I was just going to invite you to join us for a drink, but right as I was saying it, I realized how totally out of the blue and lame and… kind of creepy I’m being.” Kara couldn’t help but laugh at herself, awkwardly. “It was stupid, just don’t worry about it.”

Lena was silent for a moment, trying to read the other girl’s face. She had no idea what to do here. _Of course_ she wanted to go with Kara; there was not much more in the world she wanted to do than be in the presence of the woman in front of her. But that was the problem. She couldn’t want that. She couldn’t allow herself to become attached and vulnerable. Lena didn’t believe there was any possibility that Kara could ever have feelings for her in the first place, which was all the more reason to protect herself from inevitable heartache. And in the off chance Kara could feel the same way (which Lena knew was impossible), she knew she was no good. She couldn’t bring Kara into her orbit to ruin.

And so, after running all of those thoughts through her head (not for the first time) at lightning speed, Lena opened her mouth to decline. Only, Kara spoke first.

“Please?” she asked, quietly.

Lena locked eyes with Kara, and swallowed heavily at the pouty eyes and bottom lip pulled by Kara’s top teeth, and Lena’s mouth was moving before her brain could catch up.

“Well how am I supposed to say ‘no’ to that face?”

Kara beamed, and Lena chuckled under her breath.

“You’re not, that’s the point!” Kara said, happily.

“Okay, well can you give me a couple of minutes? Let me just finish up a few emails and then I’ll meet you there. You go on—I don’t want your friends to think I kidnapped you.”

They both kept smiling at one another, and Lena felt the all-too-familiar-when-Kara’s-around butterflies in her stomach.

“Okay, fair enough. It’s Bello’s Pub, the one right there on the corner a block over, by the Starbucks.”

“I know the place,” Lena said, still beaming. “But really, you go on so I can finish this up. I’ll see you in a few… and Kara?” she paused; Kara waited. “I really appreciate the invitation.”

Kara nodded and then practically skipped out the door towards the elevator. Lena heard a faint, “Goodnight, Jess!” laced with Kara’s ever-present cheerfulness, and she couldn’t help but smile in spite of herself. But the smile was short-lived.

Lena picked up the whiskey she had poured just before Jess knocked and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

“ _What in the world am I doing?”_ she thought.

She quickly poured and threw back another whiskey.

Lena had no more work she needed to do that night; but she needed some space from Kara to breathe and think and generally prepare herself for the evening ahead. She poured a third whiskey and wandered out on her balcony, thinking that fresh air would help clear her head and level her out.

As she reached the railing, Lena looked down just in time to see Kara exit the L Corp building, and she smiled to herself, watching the girl stroll down the street towards the bar. Lena hadn’t thought about it before, but she could actually see Bello’s from her balcony. There were a few people hanging out outside as Kara approached, and it became clear they were waiting on her. Lena squinted, and could barely make out Kara’s sister, who she had met once previously, and she presumed the woman holding Alex’s hand was the girlfriend Kara once mentioned. She also recognized James Olsen and his girlfriend Lucy Lane, because… well…. Of course she knew who those two were.

Lena watched on as Kara greeted them all with a hug and they stood talking for a moment. After a minute or two, James pointed across the street and they all turned their heads. Lena watched with curiosity at the tall, brunette man crossing the street towards them. She saw Kara give him a dorky (really, adorable) wave as he got closer. But Lena involuntarily frowned as she watched him bypass everyone else to bee-line straight for Kara, wrapping her in a big hug. Her stomach churned when she saw Kara give him a kiss on the cheek as they separated, smiling at one another. He turned around, finally acknowledging the rest of the group, but his left arm remained around Kara’s shoulders.

That’s how they walked into the bar, out of sight.

Lena felt nauseous. This was exactly what she knew would happen if she allowed herself to grasp onto the tiniest bit of hope and allow herself to marinate in her feelings for Kara Danvers. She looked down at the untouched glass of whiskey in her hand, knuckles white as she grasped it tightly. She downed it—again—in one gulp and turned to go back inside. As she set the glass back on the bar, she realized her hand was trembling, and she felt one lone tear start to slip down her cheek. She let out one choked, low, sob before quickly covering her mouth with the back of her hand. She stood still for a few moments, just like that:  eyes closed, head bowed, the back of her right hand covering her mouth, and gripping the bar with her left.

She took in a shaky breath and exhaled slowly, moving her hand from her mouth to her cheek, wiping the tear track.

A beat passed.

One more breath, a sniff, and Lena was quickly upright again, a model of perfect posture. She walked swiftly to her desk and picked up her cell phone, scrolling through the contacts until she reached the Ks.

She opened a message to Kara and quickly tapped out a message, sending it before she could over think it, and then called Jess on the intercom to call her car. She stared at the phone in her hand, the ominous “Delivered” notation under her text to Kara. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes once again, shaking her head softly. A moment later her speaker phone buzzed, and she knew her car had arrived. Lena silenced her phone before shoving it in her handbag and grabbing her jacket off the coat rack in the corner. She was out the door and headed home within thirty seconds, steeled further into her resolve to wall herself off from Kara Danvers.

As the car stopped at a red light in front of Bello’s Pub, Lena forced her gaze in the opposite direction, terrified of what she may see. As her driver pulled through the intersection and the bar was finally out of sight, Lena let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the street, Kara was laughing loudly at some story Maggie had just finished about Alex nearly burning down her apartment trying to impress her with a fancy dinner. Alex was just repeating, “It’s not that funny!” for about the fifth time when Kara felt her phone vibrate on the table. She quickly turned it over and warmed when she saw Lena’s name on the lock screen. She swiped, and her smile fell.

**Lena:  Terribly sorry. Something came up. Have a nice evening.**

Mon-El, standing next to Kara, noticed her quick change in demeanor.

“Everything okay?” he asked quietly, hand on her forearm.

“What? Oh… yeah. It’s… fine.” Kara responded, eyes never leaving her phone.

Kara replied immediately (with three separate texts and too many emojis), and spent the rest of her night glued to her phone hoping for a reply.  It never came.


	2. The Gala

When Lena’s alarm went off at 5:30 this next morning, she groaned just a bit louder and hit the snooze button just a bit harder than she usually did.  She threw her arm over her eyes to block out the sun streaming through her blinds, despite the early hour.

In her next home, she’d be sure to do whatever remodel necessary so that her bedroom windows faced the west instead of the east.

She must have again dozed off, because nine minutes later she was jolted from her pillow by the shrill noise of her phone alarm. She cut it off and begrudgingly sat up, knowing she needed to start getting ready and head to the office. She had a 7:00am conference call with foreign investors (damn time zones…) and she needed to be fully awake for the call.

After starting her coffee maker, she padded back through her bedroom to the large granite bathroom paradise that was Lena’s favorite part of her apartment suite. A giant, rainfall shower was an addition to the already-existing Jacuzzi tub, double sinks, extra large vanity, and double walk-in closets. Lena cranked the hot water on in the shower and slowly stripped her pajamas before stepping in and gasping at the perfectly scalding hot water.

Lena took her time, shampooing her scalp twice (mainly for the extra scalp massage), conditioning, shaving every inch that she kept shaved, and lathering down her entire body until she felt new. As she stepped out of the shower she wrapped herself in her fluffy, oversized robe and walked to the kitchen for her coffee.  Much like her shower, Lena appreciated the scalding temperature of the black coffee as it met her tongue, adding an extra jolt to awaken her conscience.

Lena wandered back to her bedside table, reluctantly picking up her cell phone.  As much as she wanted to avoid her text messages, she couldn’t justify avoiding her work emails. She pressed a button and the phone came alive, immediately stealing her breath.

“Kara Danvers (2)” stared back at her from the home screen.

Lena’s trembling thumb opened her messages, morbid curiosity getting the best of her.

Before Lena had even arrived home the night before, Kara had sent her three messages. Lena quickly jumped to the top of the conversation, opting to read it again before seeing the new messages.

**Lena (08:51p): Terribly sorry. Something came up. Have a nice evening.**

**Kara (08:53p): Oh. I’m so sorry.** **:( :( :(** **I hope everything’s okay.**

**Kara (08:54p): I don’t know why I said sorry. I don’t know if it’s bad. I just hope it’s not. Be well, Lena. :)**

**Kara (08:54p): But please, let me know if everything is okay or not. Please let me know if I can help. I like to help when I can!!!!! :)**

Lena had read those messages over and over again before bed; she had them memorized. But now there were two new ones, and Lena simply couldn’t let those go unread for any longer. She scrolled down.

**Kara (01:43a): I hope you’re okay? Please let me know you’re okay.**

**Kara (02:01a): I’m hoping you’re getting some good sleep. I just got home, but I’m still worried. I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, but I’m a worrier.**

Lena let out a slow, shaky breath.

She was so _fucked_.

Kara was genuinely concerned about her, which wasn’t something Lena was used to and something bound to keep her drawn in, continually infatuated by the reporter.  She couldn’t bear the idea of allowing Kara to continue to worry over her, but knew a line had to be drawn somewhere.

Lena rolled her head back, stretching her neck side to side and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think of the right response. She typed and deleted and typed and deleted several times over before finally being satisfied enough to hit send.

**Lena (06:12a): There’s no need to worry, just a work emergency at one of our South American supply depots. Hope you had a nice time last night.**

Immediately after sending, Lena tossed her phone in her bag and went off to her extra large walk-in closet to get ready for the day. At precisely 6:55am, Lena’s heels clicked sharply across the marble floor of the L Corp lobby on her way into her office, and she stepped off the elevator onto her floor at precisely 6:57am, where her secretary Jess greeted her with a hot black coffee and a file folder with information for her 7:00am call.  

“I’ve already dialed you in, Ms. Luthor. You just have to pick up line two in your office. At 8:30 you have a finance meeting with the CFO and her deputy, and then at 11:20, Ms. Edwards from research & development will present their latest R&D prototype for the NCPD bullet proof gear.”

Jess finished her morning spiel just as the two women reached the door to Lena’s office, where she skipped ahead and opened the door wide for her. Lena paused in the doorway.

“Jess… thank you. I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Jess returned her smile and closed the door quietly behind herself as Lena walked over to her desk and joined her morning call.

* * *

 

Hours later, Lena nodded and smiled as the R&D director left her office before dramatically plopping down on her couch near the door. She had left her office door open, and put on the show for Jess’s benefit.

Jess took the bait, and laughed as she came to the doorway.

“Long day, Ms. Luthor? It’s barely half over!”

“Oh, when are they not, Jess? When are they not?”

They both chuckled and nodded, knowingly, and Jess started to ask for Lena’s lunch order when her phone rang. Dutifully, Jess darted over to answer the phone.

“Good afternoon, you’ve reached the office of Lena Luthor, CEO of L Corp. My name is Jess, how may I assist you today?” Lena smiled at Jess’s warm greeting. After only a moment, she could hear Jess again.

“Oh, yes, hello!” There was a brief pause. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but I’m sure that would be wonderful. One moment, let me confirm.”

Lena heard Jess press a button and then a few soft steps back to the doorway. She looked up at Jess, expectantly.

“Ms. Luthor, it’s Ms. Danvers on the phone. She was asking to see if you’re free for the lunch hour. She offered to bring you some sushi?”

Lena’s stomach lurched simply at hearing the woman’s name, and she felt a numbness envelop her body, tingling the tips of her fingers. She was silent for a moment, replaying those memorized text messages in her head.

“Actually, Jess,” she said slowly, willing herself to say what she knew she must. “Please politely decline. I really must get back to work; no distractions.” As Lena said these last few words, she stood up swiftly from the couch, making her way back to her desk as if to display a sense of urgency in her work. She intentionally was avoiding making eye contact with Jess, but could feel her presence lurking.

Jess cleared her throat. “Okay, Ms. Luthor,” she said, obviously hesitant. “Should I give any reason, or suggest something in the alternative?”

“No, thank you, Jess. I am simply too busy,” was all she offered.

Jess responded with a tight smile and then left Lena’s office, allowing Lena to exhale as Jess clicked the door behind her. Lena’s eyes stayed trained on the red light of Jess’s phone line at her desk phone. She heard distant muffles through the door—undoubtedly Jess telling Kara not to come by. A moment later, the red light of the phone disappeared as Jess disconnected the call. Lena allowed herself just a moment or two to breathe, and then returned to her work.

* * *

 

Later that night, long after the sun had gone down and most of the staff had gone home, Lena’s phone rang, and she cringed while she waited for Jess to chime over and let her know who was on the line. At such late hour, it was rarely a good news phone call. So she was pleasantly surprised when Jess forwarded the call with the primer that it was the National City mayor on the line for her. “She says she wanted to personally extend you an invitation,” Jess said.

Lena asked her to patch it through, and almost immediately was greeted with the cheery voice of their overly friendly mayor.

“Oh, dear Lena, it is almost embarrassing that I am calling you so late.”

“Think nothing of it, Mayor. I’m usually in the office until after 9, Lena said with a chuckle.”

“Oh no, you misunderstand. I don’t mean it’s too late tonight, I mean that I unfortunately meant to extend you this invitation weeks ago, and it somehow complete slipped my mind. I’m holding a fundraising gala for my state senate campaign this Friday evening at the art gallery. I am dearly, dearly hoping that you can make it, and am having my assistant hand-deliver your invitation tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see,” Lena said, realization hitting her. “Well, of course, Mayor. I’d love to come. And please, save your assistant the trip. You can simply have him email me the details, and I’ll be sure to stop by.”

“Oh thank you, Lena! Your support in my last Mayoral campaign was so generous and greatly appreciated. I hope we can continue this partnership in the future, and I look forward to seeing you on Friday.”

“Of course. I’ll see you then. Enjoy your evening.” Lena gently hung up the call.

“Hey, Jess!” she called out, waiting barely fifteen seconds before her assistant was in the doorway.  Lena smiled at her, and Jess mirrored the look, cautiously. “Get ready to go shopping tomorrow. I need a new dress.”

* * *

 

“Yes, thank you, councilman. I really appreciate you explaining to me how solar energy works.” Lena said, with as little disdain as she could possibly muster.

“Um, Ms. Luthor? I’m terribly sorry to interrupt. There is an emergent call on your cell phone.” Jess said, apologetically.

“Oh, yes, Lena. Please, feel free to take that. It was nice to speak with you, and hopefully we can speak again soon about my solar project.”

“Please call Jess to schedule something,” Lena said, tersely.

The older councilman walked away, and Lena turned towards Jess, exhaling and chuckling to herself. Jess smiled, too.

“Thank you, Jess… as always. This is why I always make you come to these things. I swear, if I had to listen to that grey-faced history teacher mansplain solar energy to me for one more second…”

Jess laughed out loud. “You make it sound like it’s a _chore_ for me to get us new dresses and attend fancy galas with free alcohol, delicious food, and National City’s finest. Really, Ms. Luthor, you’re doing me a favor!”

“That may be, but I’m still grateful you’re here. It gets lonely and awkward with this crowd at times.”

“That may be, but some of that is of your own making, eh?” Jess responded, raising an eyebrow at her boss.

Just as Lena was about to respond, her stomach growled and there definitely was no hiding it. They both smiled and Jess said, “A trip to the buffet it is. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Lena nodded and as Jess made her way across the gallery, Lena turned to look at the painting in front of her. It was a Salvador Dali piece that she had been dying to really get a chance to admire, but kept getting interrupted. Someone always wanted something from her. As Lena took in the piece of art, she felt her shoulders roll back and her muscles relax. She’s always so tense without even realizing it; but this brought her peace.

After a minute or two, Lena felt Jess slide back up on her right side, upper arms brushing against one another. The stood there, silent and facing the painting, for a moment.

“You may come with me for the free booze and good food, but I love these things for the art,” Lena said, softly.

“I actually came for the company.”

Lena stilled and immediately tensed up again. It wasn’t Jess… and she knew exactly who it was.

“Kara,” she said, simply, as she turned to the right to face the other woman.

“Hey,” Kara said, shyly.

“What… what are you doing here?” Lena asked, immediately seeing the fleeting hurt in Kara’s eyes at her question. “Not… I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right. It’s not that I’m not glad to see you. I just didn’t expect…”

“No, I know, I know,” Kara said, gently placing a hand on Lena’s elbow. “I snuck up on you,” Kara winked.

Lena felt her stomach flip and a chill radiate from her elbow where Kara’s hand rested. They looked at each other for a beat, both smiling and breaking eye contact, heads dipping.

“I’m here with Cat,” Kara finally said.

Lena hated it, but she felt the look of surprise and pain flit across her face. “Cat?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Kara laughed, “Cat Grant. Maybe you’ve heard of her? She kind of owns the company I work for…” Kara continued, teasing.

Lena didn’t flinch or laugh. “No, I know who she is,” she said, more coarsely than she meant to. “I just… you’re here with her?”

As she said it, Lena could hear the jealousy dripping from her words, but it was too late.

“Well… yeah,” Kara said, simply. “She doesn’t actually _work_ at CatCo anymore, so she doesn’t really have an assistant now. So when the Mayor invited her she asked me to come with her like I used to….” Kara finished with a touch of curiosity and a tilt of her head. When Lena didn’t respond right away, Kara smiled, eyes sparkling, and took a step closer to her. Lena held her breath. “Didn’t I see your assistant, Jess, with you just a few moments ago?”

“Um… yes, but…” Lena shook her head. “No, yes, you’re right. That was silly of me. Of course Cat needs an assistant here with her,” Lena said, simply. “It’s just that you’re not an assistant any longer.”

“No, I know. But Cat and I became friends, and I miss her, so I was happy to accept her invitation.”

Lena tensed even further, harkening back to Kara’s first statement of the night: _“I actually came for the company._ ”

Lena nodded, “I get it. Of course,” she said, quietly.

“Plus, I was hoping you’d be here.”

“You were?” Lena asked. Now she was confused.

“Yeah. Fancy fundraiser gala in National City? I figured the city’s most famous CEO would be making an appearance,” Kara paused, purposefully looking Lena up and down. “And I was _most definitely_ correct. That’s some dress, Lena.”

Lena could feel herself blushing. Jess had found her a black satin, floor length dress with a cowl neck and a completely open back. A simple diamond bracelet and matching drop earrings on loan from her favorite jeweler had topped off the look.

“Jess has a good eye,” Lena finally managed.

“She sure does,” Kara responded, quickly.

They stood there for a moment, silent. Lena allowed herself, for the first time, to fully take in Kara’s look. She wore a dark navy suit that had been perfectly tailored, with skinny legged pants that came up just enough to show off her ankle above her navy loafers. One button was done on her suit jacket, over a light blue button-up shirt, which had buttons undone down the top to allow Lena’s eyes to wander. Kara’s hair was entirely up, pinned in a complicated pattern that left the back of her neck bare. A shiver ran down Lena’s spine at the thought of running her fingers, _or lips_ , along that bare neck. After a few moments, Kara coughed slightly to herself, not-so-subtly trying to regain Lena’s attention.

Lena shook her head lightly, remembering her resolve from earlier in the week, and quickly scanned the room in front of her, looking for Jess to swoop in with an interruption. Realizing it wasn’t coming, she addressed the reporter again.

“It was very nice to see you, Kara. Enjoy the art,” Lena gestured to the Dali in front of them. “And please give Cat my best.”

Lena watched as Kara’s mouth opened and closed twice, apparently considering a response. Finally, as Lena started walking off, unwilling to face Kara and subject herself to that blissful torture any longer, Kara touched her wrist softly—applying just enough pressure to regain Lena’s attention.

“I actually think I’m headed out, so have a nice night.” Lena cocked an eyebrow in question.

“Yeah, I’ve already seen the piece of artwork I came for.”

And just like that, Kara released Lena’s wrist and walked away.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three more chapters left! Still tossing around whether to make chapter four a Kara-focused chapter or keep it all largely from Lena's POV. Thoughts?


	3. The Press Conference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've upped the chapter count on this story from five (5) to six (6), so... you're welcome?

**Monday**

**Kara (11:32a): As usual, it was really great to see you on Friday.**

**Kara (11:49a): Did you have a good night?**

**Kara (04:38p): I hope you have a relaxing week, Lena (for you at least). ;-)**

**Thursday**

**Kara (01:22p): Just saw that a new Chinese place opened a few blocks down from L Corp. Potstickers for lunch tomorrow? :)**

**Saturday**

**Kara (10:14a): Okay, did I do something?**

**Kara (10:18a): I can’t be imagining that you’re ignoring me?**

**Tuesday**

**Kara (09:06p): We’re at Bello’s Pub again having drinks tonight. I can see your shadow moving around in your office. Come by and have a drink.**

**Kara (10:52p): Given that your office light has been off for almost an hour now, I’m guessing I won’t be seeing you. Again.**

**Kara (10:54p): What gives, Lena?**

**Friday**

**Kara (08:32a): Okay I just got the L Corp press release in my email. You’re doing a press conference today?! And announcing new tech inspired by SUPERGIRL?!?!  A head’s up would have been nice. Snapper is ballistic over how I didn’t have an exclusive scoop ahead of this announcement.**

**Kara (09:02a): I guess I’ll see you at the press conference?**

**Kara (10:40a): Okay, or not. Whatever.**

* * *

 

Lena flipped through her index cards one final time before buzzing Jess.

“Jess, can you please make sure the car is ready?” She paused and hit the button again. “And someone did a sound check at the park, right?”

Jess buzzed back immediately. “Ms. Luthor, everything is ready. Your car has been out front for 30 minutes, and there have been three separate sound checks by three different engineers. The press is ready when you are.”

Lena could practically hear the smile in her assistant’s voice, which is how she realized she was overly stressing.

“Thank you, Jess,” she responded, after a breath.

Lena stood and approached her floor-length mirror, checking over her look. She wore a knee-length, long sleeve dark red dress, with her hair down and straight and thick lip stick. Confident that she looked the part, she returned to her desk to gather her things. She swiped her index cards and stuffed them in her clutch. As she unplugged her cell phone from her computer, she hesitated.

Lena knew that Kara had been texting her for the last two weeks, ever since she saw her at the Mayor’s Gala. Every time her phone vibrated, she groaned to herself. Sure enough, it was usually Kara. Lately, Kara’s text messages had become extra frustrated and pissed off, which Lena, frankly, couldn’t blame her for.

But after Kara left Lena at the gala, flirtatious comments in the air and lingering fingertips on her wrist, Lena couldn’t stop thinking about her.

_“I came for the company.”_

_“I’ve already seen the piece of artwork I came for.”_

She groaned again for the hundredth time that week as the tingling chill cascaded down her spine, as it had every time she thought of Kara’s hot words. Lena squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head and trying to _force_ Kara out of her brain. She looked at her reflection in the mirror again, and wished Kara out of her mind. She kept failing.

* * *

 

Lena peered around the edge of the large LCorp banner that served as the background on the stage for her press conference. She always preferred to do press events outdoors because it inevitably brought around curious onlookers and increased the crowd sizes. Today was no different. The first 6 rows were filled with reporters, followed by several rows of uniformed law enforcement officers from different agencies, and then a gallery of civilians and others with interest in the press event. A stage just behind the crowd was overflowing with camera crews and photographers vying for a clear shot at the stage. 

"Ms. Luthor," she heard behind her. 

"Ah, Chief, thank you so much for joining me today. It's wonderful to see you again," she stretched out her hand for a firm handshake with the NCPD chief, a grizzled light-skin black man who had served in that position for almost two decades. 

“Say no more, Lena. Anytime someone wants to invest their own time and money in protecting my people, I’m on their team. Happy to be here for the announcement.”

“Well, Chief, to be fair, your people have saved me a time or two!” Lena responded. They both laughed. “It’s good technology,” she finished.

As their chatter continued, a short brunette woman walked over and signaled to Lena that they were ready to start the conference. A relative hush fell over the crowd in the front, and soon Lena heard the booming voice of LCorp’s communication’s director over the PA system.

“Thank you all for joining us today for what is sure to be an exciting and groundbreaking announcement. First, you’re going to hear from LCorp Chief Executive Office Lena Luthor, followed by NCPD Chief Gerald Cousins. After they both have given a prepared statement, we’ll open the floor up for questions from the press for either of them. So, without further ado, Ms. Lena Luthor.”

Chief Cousins winked at her and she smiled as they walked around the backdrop onto the stage together. Lena surveyed the crowd as she approached the podium, instantly spotting Kara in the second row of reporters, near the aisle. Her bright yellow sweater and polka-dotted button-down shirt stood out amongst the greys and blacks of the rest of the press attire, and Lena tried to ignore the rollercoaster in her stomach when they made eye contact.

Though Kara waved slightly to Lena, she lacked the usual bright, eager smile that Lena had come to adore so much.  Instead, Kara’s eyebrows raised, crinkling her forehead in clear confusion (or annoyance?) upon seeing Lena. She returned the wave with a tight smile and a nod, knowing that she owed Kara _something_ , even if it wasn’t what either of them wanted.

As Lena stepped up to the microphone, polite applause emanated from the crowd. Lena turned on her charm and smiled wide, waving to the crowd.

“Thank you. Thank you all for being here today.”

Lena looked over each of her shoulders, nodding and thanking the other executive officers of the NCPD that flanked the podium. The Chief stood by her side, and waved to the crowd as well.

As Lena began to speak, she made a conscious effort to avoid looking at Kara. She had to stay focused.

“Good afternoon, National City. I am both proud and humbled to be joined on stage today by National City’s Chief of Police and his fellow officers for an announcement that is bound to make this city and its people safer and more secure. For several months now, under my direction and with the generous consultation of Supergirl, LCorp has been developing exclusive technology for a trial run with the NCPD.”

Whether habit, or something else, Lena couldn’t help but glance at Kara as she mentioned Supergirl. Kara fidgeted with her glasses and smiled, slightly. Lena felt a warm tingle down her back.

“Our research and development division has created new, state-of-the-art bullet proof wear for our officers. Unlike the Kevlar vests currently so prevalent in law enforcement, these items are designed to be worn under the standard uniform, are as thin as nylon, and are breathable, making them more comfortable and easier to wear. Thus far, we have made new long and short-sleeved shirts, pants, socks, and skull caps. Gloves are still in development, but require additional time to ensure the officers have the dexterity their demanding jobs require.”

“As you all are aware, I have been targeted several times recently by various forces keen on stopping the progress LCorp has made, and seeking to harm the alien population in National City and worldwide. During the most recent attack, my life was saved by Supergirl, as she fanned out her cape to block a barrage of bullets directed at me.”

Again, Lena couldn’t help herself. As she discussed her Super inspiration, and the events of her mother’s arrest, she locked eyes with Kara. She knew Kara knew the story, and she had even shared (off the record) that they were developing this tech together. But there was still something curious on Kara’s face. Something Lena couldn’t place, but something she wanted to see over and over and over again.  When Lena had first taken the stage, Kara’s reception to her had been anything but warm. But now, Kara was looking at her like she hung the moon. Her jaw was slightly slack, eyes wide, and she was literally on the edge of her seat. She adjusted her glasses and smiled at Lena when she realized Lena was looking at her. Lena decided, in a split second in the moment, to tell more of the story than she originally planned.

“The cape repelled the bullets, and then she went on to assist the NCPD in apprehending the assailants. The term “hero” doesn’t begin to do justice for what Supergirl is. After saving my life, she came to my office that evening—to check on me.”

Lena laughed, slightly. Almost to herself. As she spoke off the cuff, she was taken by how extraordinary this story was.

“Imagine that, a real-life superhero saves your life and then _comes to you_ later to make sure you’re okay. The woman took three magazines of bullets from an automatic rifle to the chest and was thrown through a concrete wall. I didn’t have a scratch on me. But she was worried for _me_.”

Lena paused and shook her head as if to shake herself back on script.

“When she came to me, I had the unique opportunity to ask her about her suit. And so, with Supergirl’s help, we have employed the same technology used in her Super suit to enhance her own ability to deflect bullets to help protect our officers. I thank Supergirl for all of her assistance and consultation in the process, and hope that the partnerships between LCorp and the NCPD, together with her ever present force of good, will make National City the safest major urban center in the world.”

“And with that, I’ll turn it over to Chief…”

Lena never got to finish that sentence.

Shots rang out over the promenade where they were holding the press conference, and Lena instantly felt a thumping pain in her left shoulder, and then her ribcage, and then her left forearm. She fell to the platform, but remained alert enough to take in her surroundings. The other officers on the stage with her had also hit the ground, but she was unsure if it was for cover or because they had been shot. Two officers crawled on their forearms over to her, pulling her and others underneath the banner and attempting to pull her behind the stage. Lena struggled against their attempts to move her.

“No! No! Wait a second!”

Her eyes rapidly danced across the crowd, hoping against all hope to catch a glimpse of that yellow sweater. “ _Where was Kara?”_ she asked herself. The press and other attendees had all scattered, some attempting to take refuge under chairs and behind trees, while others simply fled on foot as fast as they could away from the gunfire. A few of the camera crews on the back stage bravely remained, directing their cameras in all different angles, capturing the chaos. Kara was no where to be seen. Lena’s felt her heart beat heavily in her chest. She couldn’t breathe.

“Lena! NOW!” one of the officers yelled, trying to pull her the final few feet behind the stage. Seconds before the crowd and the view in front of her disappeared, Lena caught sight of a flash of blue through the sky. _Supergirl_.

Lena shoved the officer off who was pulling her by the ankle and pointed toward skyscraper rooftops a few blocks away. “Look!” she urged.

Lena, the NCPD Chief, and the other officers on stage all gaped openly as the tiny blur that was Supergirl bounced from rooftop to rooftop. She stopped briefly on three of them, disappearing from sight, but they were too far off in the distance for Lena to understand what was happening. Despite her protestations, Lena was lifted from the stage and carried off by an officer towards a waiting black SUV. It sped off towards the hospital. Lena squirmed in the seat, trying to look back and see what was going on. She was surrounded by commotion in the car, between the police radio and the driver yelling back and forth, and an officer in the back seat with her trying to attend to her injuries. But Lena blocked all of that out, zoning in on the growing image of Supergirl flying towards the officers still on the stage, carrying two men who appeared to have their feet and hands tied together. Supergirl’s face was wild with something Lena couldn’t put her finger on. She locked onto the look in her eyes, the crinkle of her brow, and before she could think on it any longer, the SUV took a sharp right turn and flipped its siren on, drowning out any of Lena’s attempted thoughts.


	4. The Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to post. This chapter was much harder to write than expected, but it did come out longer than expected, too. I hope I did these characters justice, and I hope you enjoy!

“Alright, so any questions, Ms. Luthor?” the doctor asked.

“No, no. While I don’t agree with your assessment, I do understand it.”

She nodded and turned to the nurse. “Let’s give her a little bit of space and time to relax.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Lena responded. As the two closed the door behind them, Lena let her head fall back against the pillow with a thud. She closed her eyes to try to fall asleep, but her mind kept racing. Every time Lena closed her eyes, her thoughts flashed between the look of awe on Kara’s face while she talked about Supergirl’s assistance and Supergirl’s look of determination and anger that she saw briefly as her car raced away from the scene of the shooting.

Something itched at the back of Lena’s brain, tingling something she couldn’t quite identify or explain. She opened her eyes and looked around, taking in her surroundings in the hospital room. It was a single room with a window, though the sheer curtains were drawn. Muted sunlight strewn in over the chair in the corner of the room. She looked down at her medical gown and hospital-issued sure-grip socks and laughed. It was the least-glamourous outfit she thought she’d ever donned. Lena noticed her cellphone on her bedside table, and tried to stretch and reach for it.

“Ohhh… god. That was a mistake,” she said to no one.

Lena gingerly fingered the brace and sling on her arm and the bandage on her ribcage. For the first time, she really took stock of her injuries: a fractured arm, bruised ribs, and a bruised collarbone. To L Corp’s credit, they were minimal compared to the danger she faced.

Lena grinned to herself when she spotted her shredded dress in the corner. A few of her subordinates had questioned her choice of dress for the press conference, but it had been strategic. In the days leading up to the event, L Corp had received a number of credible threats against her personally, and she had decided that there was no better opportunity to provide a testimony for her product than the potential it had to save her own life. Under Lena’s long-sleeve dress she had worn her own long-sleeved and short products designed for the NCPD. Rather than tearing through skin and flesh, likely leaving fatal wounds behind, the bullets had simply bounced off, instead acting like blunt force trauma.

After bracing herself and taking a deep breath, Lena reached for her phone with her right arm, grimacing as she snatched it off the table.

Swiping across the screen, she swallowed a laugh at what she found: 24 missed calls, 16 voicemails, and 111 text messages. But despite the attention she was receiving, one name jumped off her screen: **Kara Danvers**.

She thumbed her way through her phone, noting that 3 of the voicemails were from Kara and 7 were from Jess. She knew they had to be the first two she called back.

Just as Lena started sorting through the text messages from people she actually knew versus those of reporters who had managed to scrape her number up somewhere, she heard a commotion in the hall.

"No ma'am, she's resting. Absolutely zero visitors," Lena heard scuffling and then the unmistakable voice of Kara Danvers: "No... no... I have to see her. I don't care... I'll leave right away if she doesn't want me here... I'm sorry, no, I'm going in..."

And then the door burst open and a very out of breath Kara pushed into the room, with a wide-eyed, frantic nurse scrambling in behind her.

"Lena, ohmygodareyouokay?!"

"Ms. Luthor I'm so sorry, I tried to stop her but it was like she picked me up and moved me!"

They spoke simultaneously, and Lena laughed.

"Rodrick, it's fine, it's fine. I'd like her to stay. Thank you for your efforts."

He stared at Lena for a moment, seemingly unconvinced and also still staring at Kara with a look of complete confusion. Kara had made her way closer to Lena's hospital bed, stopping a foot or so away from the side, clearly looking Lena over and taking inventory of her visible injuries.

Lena looked back to the nurse. "Rodrick, it's really okay. Please close the door behind you," she said with as big of a smile as she could muster.

Slowly, he turned around and the door shut behind him with a click.  Immediately, Kara sprung into action, reaching Lena's bed in a fraction of a second and taking her hand in both of hers. Lena stared at their joined hands.

"Lena, look at me," Kara commanded. Lena looked up. "Hey, Kara," she said.

"HEY?!" Kara almost yelled. "What the hell happened?!  You got shot! I watched you get shot! But you're here and you seem... fine?! And you're just saying HEY?! And..."

Lena couldn't help but chuckle. "Kara, dear, please let me explain."

Kara halted at the word "dear."

"I was wearing my prototype. Under the dress... I... I got shot but the bullets didn't pierce the new gear. It worked, and I'm okay. I'm a little banged up, but I'm okay. The doctor said it looked like someone had taken a hard hit at me with a hammer in each place where the bullet hit. I tried to leave, but she insisted I stay here for 48-hours for observation since they don't _really_ know what sort of internal damage could have been caused by the bullets with the gear on. They don't know how far into my body the bullets may have pushed before being repelled back. It’s just a precaution… I really am fine."

The two women stared at each other for a moment in silence. It was only then that Lena realized that Kara's thumb was stroking the back of her hand, and her eyes were welling with a hint of tears.

"I'm okay," Lena whispered, not breaking her eye contact with Kara. "I'm going to be okay."

Lena tried to smile at Kara for extra reassurance, but it was as if her smile broke the trance Kara was in, and the next thing she knew she was being wrapped in Kara's arms with the girl's face buried in her neck. Lena winced slightly at the pressure on her bruised ribs, but she didn’t dare make Kara move. One of Kara's arms wrapped around her back, while the other cradled her head, fingers threading through Lena's hair that had long been pulled down out of it's usual bun. Lena carefully wrapped her uninjured arm around Kara's shoulders, suddenly chilled by the way their bodies pressed together—despite its awkwardness from their respective positions. After a minute or two passed, Lena felt the way Kara's shoulders were slightly shaking and the breaths blowing over Lena's neck and shoulder were uneven. She realized Kara was crying.

Lena slowly ran her hand up and down Kara's spine, trying to comfort her. Lena fought her own tears as they held each other. After what felt like hours, she spoke softly, almost whispering directly into Kara's ear.

"Please don't cry, Kara. Please don't cry over me. I am okay, and I'm here."

Kara took several deep breaths, clearly trying to calm herself.

"I'm okay, and I am here," Lena repeated.

Slowly, Kara loosened her hold on Lena and pulled away. She averted her eyes, and turned her head away from Lena, without moving an inch away from the bed or taking her left hand out of Lena's.

Lena watched her from behind as Kara slipped off her glasses with her right hand and wiped her eyes with her forearm, pressing for a moment and taking another deep and shaky breath. She slipped the glasses back on and turned around, smiling softly.

"Can I..." Kara gestured to the chair in the corner, "Can I sit for a bit?" Lena didn't think she had ever heard Kara sound so meek or so unsure.

Lena smiled softly, nodded, and squeezed Kara's hand. "I really wish you would," Lena said, honestly.

Kara smiled and nodded, crossing the room and dragging the chair over towards Lena's hospital bed. Lena sat up in the bed, and Kara positioned the chair parallel to the bed, but so she was facing Lena. As soon as she sat down, she took Lena's hand back in hers. They stayed still another few moments, simply studying each other. When Kara spoke, it started quietly.

"I..." Kara inhaled, "I'm sorry about.... that," she waved her free hand in the air vaguely to signal the crying.

"It's quite alright, Kara. I'm sorry you were so upset."

Kara looked at Lena, curiously. "Of _course_ I was upset. I _am_ upset... still!" Kara metered her voice before speaking again. "You. Got. Shot. Lena. I _watched you_ get shot..." She shook her head. "I... I thought you were dead, Lena. I thought," Kara fought back a sob again, breathed deep, and looked down to her lap.

"Lena… for two weeks, I’ve been beating myself up, trying to figure out what I did to upset you or make you ignore me, and…”

“Kara, wait…” Lena interrupted.

“No… no, Lena, please. Let me go first.” Lena nodded. “I’ve been going over every conversation, every text, just trying to see where I went wrong.” Kara’s brow wrinkled and she closed her eyes. “And at first, I thought I was being overly sensitive, but then it was clear that you really were ignoring me, and”

“No, Kara…” Lena tried to cut in; Kara didn’t let her.

“… and then I was really hurt, because, I figured that I had built something up in my head that wasn’t really there, and I thought we must not be as close as I thought we were.” She sighed, but signaled to Lena that she wasn’t done talking. “And then this morning, I got that press release about the announcement and I got so, so, mad, Lena.” Kara was almost whispering. “I took all of that sadness that had built up and I just twisted it into anger and resentment.” Lena could feel her heart shatter at what the woman in front of her was saying.

Kara pulled her hand away from Lena’s and started to fidget in her lap; she wouldn’t make eye contact with Lena.

“I just didn’t want to hurt anymore. By the time I got to my seat at the press conference, I had convinced myself that it was fine. I was past it—I was past… us… our friendship or whatever,” Kara was crying again, but Lena wouldn’t have known it if she wasn’t watching her. Her voice remained lifeless and soft, but steady. The unrecognizable tears streamed down her face, but Kara seemed keen to ignore them.

“And then I saw you walk out on stage and I tried to tell myself that it didn’t hurt to see you, or that I didn’t care that you’d been ignoring me, and you were just another story for work. I kept repeating that to myself in my head over and over again.”

Lena was crying now, too. Her silent tears mirrored Kara’s.

“But then when you started talking about her… about Supergirl, it made me, I don’t know, remember things and…” Kara paused, and Lena could have sworn she was going to say something else, but then Kara quickly finished her thought. “…and then the guns went off and somebody dragged me away, and I looked back and saw one hit you, and I realized how much I…”

Lena was studying everything about Kara… her face, her hands in her lap, her voice and tear tracks and every micro expression that crossed her beautiful face. She found herself hanging onto every word, desperate to understand all that she had put Kara through so she could hopefully begin to put her back together. With all that Lena had done to try to preserve her own emotions by pushing her away, she realized she hadn’t given nearly enough thought to what she was doing to Kara’s.

After a few seconds of silence passed, Lena realized Kara hadn’t finished her sentence.

“How much you?” Lena asked quietly.

Kara looked up at her, noticing for the first time that Lena was crying, too, and she reached back with both hands and took Lena’s free hand again, still keeping her voice low.

“How much I can’t be mad at you, and how much you mean to me, Lena. I don’t know what has been going on these past few weeks, but please tell me so I can fix it because I can’t…” Kara choked back a sob, “… I can’t lose you, Lena. And maybe it took thinking I had _really, truly_ lost you to realize that, but… I just can’t…”

Lena tugged on her arms. “Sweetie, come up here,” Lena suggested. She shifted over as much as she could in her bed and gripped Kara’s wrist, pulling her to her feet. Kara awkwardly climbed in next to her, and Lena wrapped her good arm around Kara’s strong shoulders, guiding her face to rest on her shoulder.

“Kara, you aren’t going to lose me. You haven’t lost me. I’m right here.” Lena stroked Kara’s hair softly, trying to soothe her. She pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“Can I talk now?” Lena’s question wasn’t demanding or confrontational. It was laced with understanding and care. Kara nodded.

“I am so, so, so sorry, Kara. I never, ever wanted to make you feel this way or… or ever make you feel pain.”

Kara wiped at her tears with the palm of her hand and looked up at Lena.

“I… I wish I had a good explanation for not responding to you all this time, but I don’t.” Lena continued running her fingers through Kara’s hair. “I’ve really been in my own head, and, and I guess just needed my own space to navigate that, but I didn’t take the time to consider how unfair that was to you. And I am so so so sorry about that, Kara. You didn’t deserve that.”

Kara nodded almost imperceptibly.  “Kara, I’m not really used to having people I have to consider other than myself. But… you weren’t wrong.”

Lena hoped Kara would understand what she meant. She didn’t want to have to say the words.

“Wrong about what?”

Lena rolled the words around in her head, wanting to get it right. She needed to let Kara know how right she was, but knew she still had to hold just enough back. She owed Kara that much. “You didn’t make up anything in your head, Kara. You mean a great deal to me. You…” Lena sighed. “You’re my b…” she paused again. She knew _‘best friend’_ wasn’t accurate, and she wanted to tell Kara as much of the truth as she could muster. “… you’re the first person I’ve cared for this much since Lex, Kara.”

“Oh,” Kara responded.

“And I know it’s a pretty terrible excuse, but I guess I don’t really know how to do this right. But I want to, Kara, I… I need to. I don’t know what I’d do without you, either.”

Kara had wrapped an arm around Lena’s waist, molding herself to the shorter woman’s side.

“If I’m being honest… which I owe you… that is probably part of why I ghosted on you lately.”

Kara looked up at Lena, silently urging her to continue.

“Every time I get close to someone, something terrible happens and I lose them. And I can’t go through that type of pain again; I don’t know if I’d survive it, frankly. After everything that happened with Lex and my mother I just resigned myself to a life alone. I have my work where I can do good and try to undo some of the horrors brought about by my family, and I’m content with that. I really am. But then you came into my life—out of nowhere--”  they smiled at one another, “and now I was afraid that I was going to grow close with you, only to lose you, too.”

“Lena…” Kara started, but Lena gave her a look to know she’s not done.

“But I realize now that it’s way too late for that. I already have grown close to you and fond of you, and I can’t undo that. So now I guess I just have to make sure you don’t go to the dark side on me,” Lena finished with a smirk and a squeeze of Kara’s arm.

Kara giggled, “I don’t think you have to worry about that, Lena.”

“Good,” she smiled down at the top of Kara’s head.

They stayed like that for a while, silently reassuring each other. Lena felt the thumb on Kara’s hand that was across her waist gently stroking over her hip bone, and a chill ran down her spine. She kept time to the rhythm until it slowed and eventually came to a stop. Lena carefully looked down at Kara’s face and realized she had fallen asleep. She smiled to herself.

 _“How odd that I am the happiest and most comfortable I’ve been in months lying in a hospital bed, shot three times,”_ she thought to herself.

Lena closed her eyes and allowed herself to easily drift off to sleep.

* * *

 

Lena was startled awake by a soft cough by the doorway. She opened her eyes and looked around, noticing Kara hadn’t moved an inch. She smiled, despite realizing her arm had fallen asleep under the other woman.

“I’m very sorry, Ms. Luthor,” Rodrick announced. “But, visiting hours have been over for a while now, and we’re going to have to ask your guest to leave.” He paused before adding, “I came in here about an hour and a half ago, but you two both just looked so peaceful… I couldn’t wake you up.” He smiled widely at Lena.

“Well that is very sweet of you. And if we’ve both been asleep that long I think we must have needed it.” She returned the smile. “If you’ll just give me a moment I’ll wake her and send her on her way.”

“Yes ma’am, Ms. Luthor. I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

After he left, Lena ran her hand up and down Kara’s arm a few times, trying to ease her awake.

“Kara…. Kara, dear… wake up,” she whispered.

After a few moments, Kara stirred and turned her head further into Lena’s neck at first, mumbling and blowing warm breath across Lena’s collarbone. Lena’s limbs went numb again, and not because of Kara’s weight.

“Kara, apparently you have vastly overstayed your welcome, and the hospital may be sending in military forces to remove you soon.”

Kara laughed, sending another chill down Lena’s spine.

“How long have I been out? I’m so sorry, Lena… that was probably so uncomfortable for you,” she said as she started to sit up.

“I guess we’ve been asleep for over two hours, but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Really, I think that’s the best I’ve slept in weeks.” Lena smiled softly at Kara to convey her sincerity.

“Yeah, me too,” Kara reciprocated.

Kara climbed off the bed and exaggerated a stretch to make Lena laugh, which succeeded. She put the chair back in its place and picked up her bag that she dropped and forgotten at the door when she first barreled in. Lena sat herself back upright in the bed, trying to think of what to say.

“Ummm… I think they have visiting hours again tomorrow, if you’re free?” Lena cringed internally at how desperate she knew that had sounded, but her fears were quickly wiped away when Kara positively beamed back to her.

“Of course I am. Wouldn’t miss it. Want me to bring you anything special?”

Lena laughed, “I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the food here leaves a little something to be desired, so anything edible would be wonderful.”

“Oh that’s my specialty. Consider it done!” Kara said with a smile. “I’ll check with the nurse to see when I can come unless there’s a specific time?”

“No, that sounds perfect. Whenever you can would be lovely.”

“Okay, will do,” Kara responded.

An awkward silence hung in the air for a few moments, neither woman really sure how to close out the heavy conversation they’d had. Finally, Kara stepped back over to the bed and rested a hand on Lena’s forearm.

“I know I said this earlier, but I’m really so so so relieved and grateful that you’re okay, Lena,” she paused, “And that _we_ are okay, too.”

“Me too, Kara. Trust me… me too.” They both smiled wide again.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Kara asked.

“I can only hope,” Lena responded. And then, without warning, Kara leaned over her and placed a soft, but lingering kiss on Lena’s cheek. As she pulled away, Kara paused a few inches from Lena’s face.

“Bye, Lena.” She squeezed her arm and walked out of the room, once again leaving a stunned and frozen Lena Luthor in her wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be from Kara's POV!


End file.
